


Another Episode - Dueling Harmonies

by amageish



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fainting, First Meetings, Fix-It of Sorts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Iruma Miu's Dirty Mouth, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, POV Akamatsu Kaede, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Saihara Shuichi, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reunions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26866846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amageish/pseuds/amageish
Summary: Maki keeps us safe and, in turn, we don’t ask questions about what she needs to do to keep us safe.Or at least we didn’t, until I returned home from work one evening to find a woman unconscious lying on my bed....Post-Canon V3 story. Based on a premise I pitched to a friend for a UDG-style game that takes places after V3.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50





	1. The Game Begins

_ The piano looks so real. _

_ If I reached out and touched it… do you think the keys would play? _

_ A playable tombstone… that’d be a bit on the nose, wouldn’t it… _

_ It’s all just a game… Spectacle.  _

_ Ugh. _

_ I should be grateful, really. _

_ Most of the graves were never finished. _

_ Not that it matters.  _

_ I doubt they buried any bodies here anyway.... _

“Oh, hey! Somewhere else is here?”

_ Uh-oh. _

“Hello? 

“Don’t talk to her! She could be dangerous!”

_ Please go away... _

“Please, she’s here to mourn, just like we are. We have something in common.”

“Be careful!”

_ I need to leave. _

_ I shouldn’t have come here. _

“M-Miss? Why are you running?”

“GET DOWN.”

_ Oh no. _

_ The world goes black around me. _

_ Is this what death feels like? _

_ Or… felt like? _

_ Another promise will be broken. _

…

My name is Shuichi Saihara. And I was the Ultimate Detective.

You may also know me as the guy who ruined your favourite TV show. You know, the season that “jumped the shark.”

I now live a normal life with my only friends; my two fellow survivors. I faked some papers to work at a grocery store… It’s mindless work, but it pays and keeps my brain occupied. It also is one of the few stores around where the stink of the cultural phenomenon that was Danganronpa no longer lingers. It gives me peace.

Himiko and Maki have continued to use their fictionally-imposed talents. They’re stronger than me, in that way, I suppose. Himiko is a magician, though she’s less… uppity about the methods of her tricks now. She’s also switched to focusing on close-up magic, as neither of can exactly afford the props required for big stage illusions.

And after what we’ve witnessed… I’m unsure if any of us would want to…

Maki protects us. I feel bad for her using her assassin talents after all we’ve been through together, but the support that she gives us is… unspeakably huge. Team Danganronpa could have tried to catch up with us. Who knows what they’d have done. Maki keeps us safe and, in turn, we don’t ask questions about what she needs to do to keep us safe.

Or at least we didn’t, until I returned home from work one evening to find a woman unconscious lying on my bed.

“What did you do?”

Maki shot me a look. “It was just a tranquilizer. She’ll be fine within a few hours.”

“Why is she _here_ though?” I question, internally panicking. “Who is she?”

“We dunno.” Himiko said, nervously rifling through a deck of cards. Ever since we’ve started living together, she’s always been practicing… I sometimes wonder if it’s become a coping mechanism. 

“You… knocked a random person unconscious and put her in my bed? Why? Do you think she’s from Team Danganronpa?”

“If we thought that,” Maki said, staring into my soul, “Do you think she’d even be alive right now?”

I sighed. Confirmation of the thing I had always been too scared to ask.

“I suppose not…” I muttered.

A beat of silence.

Maki broke it.

“We went to the gravesite today.”

Oh. 

This was not a conversation I felt like having. Ever.

I guess I have to ask.

“How… was it?”

“To be blunt? Terrible.” Maki said.

“I thought… parts of it were nice…” Himiko piped up. “Tenko had a nice shrine… I left flowers.. But not everyone had graves prepared."  


“Well…” I said, thinking over what else to say. “I guess it’s good to know they didn’t prepare our graves in advance…”

“It was probably a cost-saving measure.” Maki said plainly. “The graves stopped after Kiyo’s, so I think they knew this season would be a dud and were ready to cut and run.”

“Oh.” I said. “So, that means h-he doesn’t…” 

I trailed off. I couldn't say it.

“Kaito doesn’t have a grave, no.” Maki said. 

She looked like she wanted to cry. She didn’t though.

“So… Is this where you found my new bedmate?” I asked, aiming to get a laugh out of my friends.

They didn’t laugh.

“Yes.” Maki said, simply. “Himiko tried to approach her. She ran away. Whether fan or ‘family,’ it’s hard to say.”

I look closer at the woman. She’s tall with light brown hair, haphazardly cut into a pixie cut. It looks like it may have been done in a hurry…

She wears a long red winter coat - overkill for the early fall. She has a pink scarf and wears black jeans underneath the coat.

Upon closer exception, I notice that her jacket buttons aren’t just circles. The circles have stems attached, forming a series of quarter notes that go up her jacket, matching the pins placed in her -

I stopped looking closer.

“Whose grave was she looking at?”

Maki rolled her eyes. “As per your ‘Rules of the Household,’ I’m not allowed to say.”

So, it’s either Kaede or Tsumugi. If graves weren’t finished, then that’s the answer right there.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to mourn them. We had set up our apartment with memories of our loved ones. I had a cheap keyboard in the corner. Maki had bought a telescope. Himiko had set up a punching bag.

This punching bag is the only object of these getting used.

It just was all too overwhelming.  Every store in the mall had a “Clearance” display full of plush Monokumas and Keebo action figures. Children would talk about the series’ cancellation on the street. There was an entire Danganronpa theme park being left to decay only miles away from our town.

The history of Danganronpa was such a phenomenon that information on the early seasons were illusive. We couldn't find evidence of a historical Hope's Peak if we tried - and we did try, at a time.

Once I can go a day without seeing the face of the bear who tormented me, then I can mourn properly. Until then, I just want to live my life in the present.

“So…” I asked. “What are we going to do with her?”

“We need to find out what she was there for.” Maki responded, curtly. “You get to do the interrogation, Mr Detective.”

“I’m not a det-” 

Maki shot me another glance, so I corrected my statement.

“I’m not a trained interrogator. Haven’t you had more experience with this as an assassin?"

“Do you want her to die?”

“If she’s an innocent… then no.” I sighed. “Here, can we just all talk to her at once?"  


Maki stared at me, clearly annoyed.

“Fine." She relented. "We’ll leave most of the speaking to you though.”

…

It was a little past 10PM when the woman woke up.

We were alerted by her screaming.

“Where am I? Who are you? What did you do to them?”

She was squirming in the bed, trying to get out of the handcuffs. 

Honestly, an understandable reaction.

“Calm down!” I said. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to hurt you.”

“If you try to escape we might.” Maki chimed in, unhelpfully.

The woman looked at us with confusion. There was a solid moment of her staring at us, looking somewhere between terrified and awe-struck. Then she simply muttered “Who are you and why did you take me here. I’m just a humble teacher. I’ve done nothing wrong!”

Teacher? Not an occupation I would have expected, as she looks to be our age. Interesting…

“Look, I’m sorry you were knocked out. My friend here was just reacting in the heat of the moment. We’ve all been through a lot, as you may know… Tell me, why were you visiting the graveyard? Were you a Danganronpa fan?”

A beat. The woman faces gets nervous for a moment, then full of outrage.

“Who could be a fan of a show where they kill people?”

“Huh… Interesting… So you support the cancellation of Danganronpa?”

“Of course I do. Killing Games are wrong. Implanting memories is wrong too. It’s all just going to lead to suffering.”

“Hm… So, you must have been pretty happy about how the lastest season ended...." I suggested.  


“Why would I watch long enough to know? Come on, Shuichi, this isn’t too hard. I was out on a walk and stopped by the graveyard to pay my respects to the deceased. Then before I knew it, someone was running up to me and another person shot me. I thought I was going to die, you know.”

I stared back at her. Maki and Himiko did too.

We didn’t know what to say.

“So… Miss…” I paused, giving her a chance to say her name.

She stared back at me, seemingly rejecting the offer.

And so I continued.

“How did you know my name?”

Her face fell.

“I mean… Um… Who wouldn’t recognize Shuichi Sahiara, the long-suffering hero who ended Danganronpa… You’re, uh, pretty famous amongst the… protest community? You know?”

She was stuttering and breathing heavily and her eyes darted everywhere.

This woman is the worst liar I have ever met.

_ Well. Possibly with one expectation… _

Bury that thought. It’ll just take your mind off of the truth.

“Sure…” Himiko interjected. “But Shuichi isn’t wearing his famous clothes… He changed his look? How do you know what he looks like well enough to recognize him…”

“Well, um, er, I lied!” She said, laughing. “Oh, uh, yeah, I actually am a Danganronpa fan. Like, the biggest Danganronpa fan. Clearly!”

“But…” Maki interjected this time. “You just went on an impassioned rant about how wrong it is?”

“I mean, well, er, sure! It’s wrong. Yes, I know and believe it is very wrong… But, well, you sometimes like morally-wrong things. You can eat food knowing it wasn’t humanely prepared, but still find it delicious. You just have to live with the guilt afterward.”

Her face darkened at the word “guilt.” She resumed staring off into space.

“Okay… So, if you are such a big fan, then clearly you will jump at the opportunity to talk to us, right? Why not speak to us by name. Name and talent, actually.” I suggest.

“S-sure!” the woman said, regaining her confidence, clearly happy that we bought her story. “You are Shuichi Saihara. You are the Ultimate Detective.”

I sighed. “I wouldn’t -”

“Just because you never solved a case doesn’t mean you aren’t the Ultimate Detective! You ended Danganronpa! That’s a real accomplishment and I’m proud of you.

That… was said quickly. The words just poured out of her… like it was by… instinct.

_ Pull yourself together Saihara…  _

“I was just going to say that I am no longer the Ultimate Detective. Past-tense works fine for me.”

“Sorry about him,” Himiko said, weirdly friendly despite the situation. “He’s just a bit antsy about everything… You can use present tense for us.”

“O-oh. Okay. Thanks, Himiko!” the woman piped up positively. “And you are the Ultimate Magician - but really you’re the Ultimate Mage!”

The woman clearly expected Himiko would react positively to that.

Himiko instead simply gave her a polite nod.

“And, finally, you are Maki Harukawa! And you are the Ultimate Child Caregiver!”

Our faces fell again.

There was a moment of silence before the chaos began.

“I do not know who you are, but I don’t want any more of your games.” Maki declared loudly, pulling out a weapon. “The Ultimate Assassin doesn’t have time for your ‘how much do I know’ show. We don’t need bar trivia about the TV show that fucking scarred us for life. Just explain who you are and why you were at the gravesite, or you’ll be buried there soon enough.”

“I kind of already am…” the woman muttered.

“What’s that?” Maki questioned. “Were you saying you’re about to tell me what I want to know, or are you saying you want to die?”

“I’ll talk.” the woman said. “It’ll break the rules, but I have to live through today. I have promises to keep.”

She looked right into my eyes with that final word.

“Promises.”

…

I suddenly hear Monokuma’s laugh in my head. I blink once and feel myself in the trial room once more.

“Oh no, it’s happening again!” Maki’s voice echoes in the background. “Himiko, grab him some water, I’ll set him down on my bed.”

“What do you want, Monokuma?” I asked.

Monokuma laughed once more.

“Look, Shuichi. The audience’ll be confused if you don’t make an accusation. You know what to do.”

The trial room filled with people, but not as they appeared when alive. Their bodies appeared how they were last seen… Dead and dying.

I scratched my eyes. Their bodies wouldn’t disappear. 

“The woman you just met… Who is she? Make your accusation now.”

Choose.

…

“Kaede Akamatsu, The Ultimate Pianist.”

“W-what?” Himiko asked, helping me up.

“I said she’s Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist” I screeched, voice hoarse and mind reeling. “Why are you here? How are you here? Do you think you could just waltz back into our lives without asking any follow-up questions?”

“Well.. You kidnapped me… Technically” the woman said, sighing. “Ugh. My roommates are going to kill me for this - whether out of hatred or jealousy…”

Maki stared at the two of them, growing angrier. 

“Quit playing games. Are you really claiming that you’re -”

The woman interrupted, talking fast as a story burst out of her. 

“13 members of Team Danganronpa fell into despair after the show was cancelled. They had wanted to kill themselves, but found an alternate solution. Why end your life with violence when there are unused flashback lights laying around? They shot themselves and… Enter me. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but we had kind of _sort of_ promised to never interact with you three.”

We all stared at her, processing her claims

“So… You… Are Kaede?” Himiko asked, insquivicely. 

“Well, I certainly have her memories running around my mind… My body was a Sound Engineer at Team Danganronpa, so I guess she figured I’d be a good fit for her…”

Himiko, Maki, and I all started to speak at once…

“This is…”

“Incredible!” Himiko declared, running over and giving the pianist a hug.

“Terrifying…” I suggested.

“Unbelievable.” Maki deadpanned.

The brunette accepted the hug, and then proceeded to address Maki directly.

“What’s unbelievable about it? You know the technology exists for it… Our memories - yours included - were being stored on a computer. Apparently there was some sort of revival perk planned at one point?”

“The Necronomicon…” I mutter grimmly.

“Uhhhhh, sure?” the pianist fills in, somewhat dismissively. “Memories were taken while we slept and prior to executions. But don’t worry - when we came to and it was clear what happened, Miu made sure to delete all the data. We won’t have any clones running around or anything…”

“So… You don’t have any memories of…” Maki asked, nervously.

“I do not, no.” the woman - Kaede I suppose - said, sounding less-then-happy to be asked about it. “I do know the jist of it though - I teach piano now as a way of supporting myself and my roommates financially… Who I love, to be clear, but they do not exactly have the most _ profitable  _ talents… Anyway, I tried to teach one kid  _ Der Flohwalzer _ and the mother got very very very angry. Something about corrupting the youth, which I found ridiculous as its perfectly wholesome song that is great for teaching beginners proper fingering. It was then that its use in Danganronpa was explained to me, by the child. He, um, was apparently a big fan of the theatrics...”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Maki said.

“I’m mostly just insulted they picked a beginner’s piece. I mean, isn’t that kind of petty? If I’m going to go out playing music, then at least pick something impressive to play… Geez.”

I sighed. I had spent months not letting Maki say this woman’s name and now someone who has all of her memories is casually sitting on my bed, critiquing the orchestration of the time I stood helpless watching her be brutally murdered.

Today had already been an exhausting day.

Little did I know it was about to get worse.


	2. Reunions and Re-caps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The interrogation continues and old friends are met once more.

“Can we… not discuss your execution, Kaede?”

“Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to strike a nerve.” Kaede said, grimacing. “I guess it just feels kind of… surreal to me? To know about an event I experienced, but didn’t, like,  _ experience _ , you know?”

Maki looked grim. “In a way… I kind of do know that, yes.”

“So…” Himiko said, looking hopeful. “Are you able to introduce us to your friends?”

“W-what?” Kaede squeaked, seemingly shocked by the question. “I can’t! I mean, we promised we’d never speak to you.”

“Why is that?” I asked. “You know we’d all care about you…”

“Yes, but… it’s… just a lot, okay? We’ve all gone through so much and didn’t want to burden you. I mean, it’s one thing to be grieving your friends, but another thing to have your grief interrupted with… your friends… alive..”

“Why don’t we trade… cell phone numbers?” Maki posed, before quickly revealing she had already taken Kaede’s cell phone.

Kaede grimaced, annoyed.

“I’d be more than happy to get you guys’ numbers, if you’d kindly give me back my phone.”

“Oh?” Maki said. “It’s no big deal. I can just put in the numbers ourselves. I mean, your handcuffs are still on…”

Kaede stared at Maki. She was clearly getting tired of the questioning.

I could have spoken up for her. 

I didn’t.

“It’s useless you know.” Kaede said, her face deadpan. “We didn’t all share contact information. Only three of us have everyone’s numbers.”

Maki lost it.

“Kaede. The least believable thing in your entire story thus far is that _Kaede Fucking Akamatsu_ could be in a group of people undergoing the same shared trauma and wouldn’t leave said group with every person’s cell phone numbers and a laundry list of promises about how you’re going to be best friends forever. I’d bet you’ve been contacting everyone at least once a week, haven’t you? Keeping track of it on a calendar where you check off everyone’s names? Probably assign everyone the musical piece that you think best represents your relationship?”

Kaede was silent.

“E-A-C-E-A-C-E-A-C.”

Maki inserted the passcode, opened up contacts, and frowned.

“This… is all nonsense.”

“Everyone’s sorted according to the job they had at Team Danganronpa.” Kaede explained. “Not everyone is as… comfortable in their new bodies, so this seemed like the one naming convention that everyone was okay with.”

“Oh.” Himiko said, dejectedly. “Are people holding up okay?”

“For the most part…” Kaede said, looking glum. “Everyone is approaching their own existence in their own ways though. The ‘being fictional’ reveal was better handled by some than others. I mean, it’s one thing to find out that you’re alive moments after thinking you were dead. It’s another thing to find out that everyone and everything you know and love never actually existed moments after thinking you were dead.”

“Oh.” I said, unsure how to respond to that. “Well, at least Debussy is real?”

Kaede smiled at that, but less in a “I appreciate that joke” way and more in a “teacher who is proud of their student for learning a basic fact” way. 

“Yes, Shuichi, Debussy is real. Chopin is real too! My family however? My family piano where I learned all of my songs? No. They are not real.. And they never will be.”

“True... I’m sorry about that.” 

“It’s fine. We’re all the same way and it’s good to have solidarity in numbers.” Kaede said, smiling. “We’re like our own little support group!”

“I added in our numbers. Here’s your phone back.” Maki said.

“You’re not going to call everyone?”

“No sense in it.” Maki replied, curtly. “The names are all a mess and I’m not going to call 12 random people just to find the one I want to see. That’s tactless. It’s much easier to just talk to your roommates directly.”

“What?” Kaede asked.

“You’re going to bring us to your house.” Maki replied, straightforwardly. “I don’t necessarily trust you, so I’d like to verify your claims first-hand. Confirm you aren’t just being used as a puppet for Team Danganronpa.”

“I’d like to meet your roommates too.” Himiko said. “I miss my friends…”

“And Shuichi?” Kaede asked. “How does the grand hero feel about it?”

“Oh. Well. I certainly want to know you’re living in a safe place. I wouldn’t mind seeing the others again as well.”

Kaede looked dejectedly at the three of us.

“And if you don’t want to… then we can always end your return early.” Maki said, coldly.

Kaede looked scared for a moment, but just a moment.

Another chance I could have defended Kaede. I didn’t.

“Fine.” she conceded. “However, you, Maki, are bringing your weapon. I want them to know that I’m only doing this because I was forced to do so. I’ve broken enough promises as-is…”

“Like I’d leave home without it anyway.” Maki said. “Now come on. Let’s get a move on.”

…

“You know this isn’t how I would act… Ever. Right?” Maki said, holding a crossbow up to Kaede’s back. “In reality, if you aim at you, then you are already dead.”

“I know.” Kaede responded. “However, I want to visibly clear to everyone that you three were the aggressors. I’m not getting blamed for bringing you home with me.”

I sighed. Kaede had been silent most of the ride over here. If I had realized how uncomfortable this was going to make her, then maybe I wouldn’t have come with…

She supported me through her short life and now I’m unable to defend her against the wishes of my best friend…

Probably because, frankly, I disagree with her.

If they’ve been alive, then they should have told us. We could help each other. Even if their bodies once worked for Team Danganronpa, they’re victims just like us… Moreso, even, as they’ve been brought into existence twice now…

So, I really should be angry with Kaede. I should be giving her the silent treatment, not the other way around…

But I’m not.

Kaede opened the door and entered her apartment. It was a messy room in a broken-down part of town. Probably all one could afford on a piano-teacher’s budget…

Kaede sat herself down on the ground, hands in the air. True to her word, Maki kept the (unloaded) crossbow pointed at her, even if one could read the disinterest in this charade Maki had on her face.

“Hello! I’m home!” Kaede called. “And I brought some friends, whether I wanted to or not…”

“Kaede! Where the hell have you been? We’ve been so worried about you!” a masculine voice called from inside.

A woman walked into the entranceway and dropped the plate she was holding in shock.

She was a thin woman, with a long flowing pink hair tied into a ponytail - seemingly recently dyed. Her skin was so incredibly pale that one could reasonably assume she has never been outside before. She lacked muscle mass, suggesting to me that she was used to spending hours indoors and without movement... In spite of this, she was dressed in workout gear - a light blue tracksuit - suggesting she was trying to get into shape.

Her hair was tied up with a green hairtie, in the shape of a pinwheel.

I felt my world black again.

…

I awoke in the trial room once more, Monokuma proceeding over me.

“Welcome back. I hope the reunion has served you well. Here’s hoping it isn’t cut short!” Monokuma laughed.

I looked around, dazed and confused.

The bodies are still there… expect one. Kaede has vanished.

“Where did she go?” I asked.

“She’s ascended.” Monokuma explained curtly and dismissively. “I guess she has other places to be and other people to see! Who knows who she’ll fail to kill this time.”

“Shut up!”

“What?” Monokuma asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You don’t want to think about all the crimes your formerly-formally dead girlfriend could be up to? There’s so many possibilities… Especially if you were to get into danger… She died trying to protect you all before, you know. Congrats on fulfilling her promise by saving three _entire_ people, by the way.”

“That’s… that’s…” I stammered.

“That’s irrelevant, I know. Kaede’s not the reason you’re here. We have a newcomer. The potential despair they could cause!” Monokuma cackled. “Do you have an accusation prepared? Remember, a wrong accusation could be the difference between life and death for your dearly-departed friends…”

I sighed and took a breath.

…

“Tenko Chabashira, Ultimate Aikido Master…” I muttered.

“Huh?” Kaede asked. 

I realized I’m now lying down in her arms. I must have fainted on top of her... Himiko and the pink-haired woman were on either side of me, looking concerned. In front of me, a tall man stood with bleached-blonde hair. He dressed in a simple blue dress shirt and black jeans. Nothing stood out about him otherwise - frankly, this man looked and dressed almost impressively average. 

“Tenko… You’re… Tenko, right?” I asked the pink-haired woman.

She sighed, clearly annoyed at me. 

“You just had to take the spotlight during Himiko and I’s grand reunion, didn’t you! Fitting for a degenerate!” 

Himiko’s eyes lit up and she ran over to Tenko, hugging her tightly. Tenko smiled.

“Welcome back.” Tenko said. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Well.” the male in front of me said, voice piercing through the happy squeals of Himiko and Tenko. “You better have one hell of a good explanation for this Kaede. I thought we could trust you of all people not to do this.”

“She didn’t want to!” Himiko said, interrupting Kaede and Maki mid-sentence. “We were just at the graveyard, mourning our losses, when we ran into her. Kaede tried to run away, but Maki and I wanted to talk to her. And before we knew it, Maki had knocked her unconscious. We brought her back to our home and she tried to deny it… but…”

“You know how great Kaede is at lying.” Maki finished. She had been staring at the window, evidently worried about being tailed here.

“Did… Did Himiko just stand up for me?” Kaede whispered to me.

“Yes. She does that kind of thing now. She’s become a lot more open and puts in a lot of work.” I whispered back.

“Wow. People grow up fast when you’re dead, I guess.” Kaede responded, smiling.

Ugh. Even in a new body, she still has Kaede’s smile.

“Okay. Fine.” the man relented. “Well, welcome to our home. So… Are you doing okay Shuichi? I imagine there are better places to nap then the ground, you know.”

I realized I was still lying in Kaede’s arms. I turned red.

“I’m… fine.” I said. “I’ve just been having these… episodes…”

I didn’t particularly feel like sharing. Maki, however, apparently did feel like sharing for me.

“She sometimes passes out when seeing things that remind him too much of the Game. I’m guessing seeing Tenko’s signature hair… propellers… put him into shock.”

“Oh!” Tenko said, seemingly apologetic. “I am sorry… I can change if you’d like… I like to wear them as they help center me and remind me of who I am, but I also have Neo Akido to center myself if needed…”

“That’s… not necessary…” I told Tenko. “But thank you?”

“Oh. Well. Quite welcome Shuichi. It’s… nice to have you back.” Tenko said, looking rather relieved.

“Did Tenko just apologize to me?” I whispered to Kaede.

“Yeah. People grow up a lot when they’re dead…” Kaede whispered back, with a wink.

“Ugh. If you’re done exchanging sweet nothings, then I think we do have a problem to address. If everyone’s going to be dressed like how they were… on the show, then we’ll be encountering a lot of people who could cause Shuichi to have episodes. Do we have any solutions?” Maki said, deadpan and pragmatically. 

“I’ve got an easy solution!” the unidentified man said. “You go home. You have your own lives to live! You don’t need to be tied up in our mess.”

“Right… Cause my life as the ‘Ultimate Grocer’ was so exciting that I can’t bare to give it up to reunite with my friends.”

“Hey, that’s a job at least!” Kaede supplied, happily. “Don’t diss minimum wage work; it’s still work. I’m proud of you for being able to get work at all, after all yo’ve been through.”

“I have been looking!” Tenko said, defensively.

“I know, sweetie… It wasn’t you I was referring to.” Kaede said, with a mix of sweetness and sourness that feels unfamiliar coming from her mouth.

“Regardless...” Himiko chimed in. “I think Maki has a point. It’d be good to have something to help Shuichi out..."  


“Wait! I have an idea!” Tenko declared. “One sec; I’ll grab something from Kaede and I’s room!”

Tenko ran off as Kaede blushed bright red. I joined her in the blushing as slightly pushed me out of her arms and we stood up onto our feet.

Tenko returned with a black baseball cap.

“Wait… What?” I said.

“Kaede bought this! It’s like your old one, right?”

“Yeah, but… I no longer need that.” I tried to say.

“I mean… If you’re fainting… there’s no shame in something to help obstruct your vision from whatever’s scaring you.” Maki reasoned.

“There’s no shame in it” Kaede added. “I mean, I bought it for similar reasons… It’s scary seeing so much Danganronpa merch everywhere… It’d be kind of nice to have a comfortable way to be free to… not look.”

“You mean lying to yourself?” the man said.

“Is it really lying if it’s just by omission,  _ Props _ ?” Tenko asked, with emphasis on the final word. “Degenerate males are never in touch with their feelings…”

“Props?” Maki asked.

“He was a member of the Props Department.” Kaede explained. “He prefers to be called Props when we’re in public, as we don’t know his body’s actual name.”

“Shut up.” the man - Props? - said. “I’m just not about to re-traumatize my friends.”

“Degenerates…” Tenko said, giving me an annoyed but knowing look.

She… does realize I’m _also_ one of the degenerate males, right? Whatever, I’m seemingly on her good side now, so I'll take it.  


I took the hat and put it on. Kaede ruffled through her closet and then put on a red yarn beanie to match.

“See?” Kaede said, smiling. “We now can both hide from all the unsightly sights of the world.”

I nodded.

“So…” Himiko turned to Tenko. “Where did your body work, Tenko?”

Tenko’s face fell.

“Edit bay. She didn’t exactly keep her body prepared for Tenko! It’ll be awhile before I can practice Neo Aikido to the best of my abilities again.” Tenko said, dejectedly. “But don’t think this means I won’t throw someone across the room to protect you, Himiko! It just means I may break a few bones in the process…”

“Please don’t break your bones?” Kaede suggested, as sweetly as possible.

“Well. This crowd seems as lively as ever.” Maki said, outwardly annoyed, but hopefully happy on the inside. “I think we can say that this would be a challenge to fake, though not impossible.”

“You just won’t be convinced until you see him.” Himiko said, surprisingly boldly. 

“Him?” Tenko and Kaede asked in unison. 

“Oh! Right, you wouldn’t know. Maki fell in love with -”

“It’s not important.” Maki said, coldly. “We have bigger problems to deal with.

“Maki, we want to make you happy!” Kaede supplied, eagerly. “If there is someone you’d like to see, then, honestly, you could have just asked. I’m sorry I was cold to you earlier; I just didn’t want to -”

“No, I mean we actually have bigger problems to deal with.” Maki interrupted, looking through the window.

Himiko walked over to join her and gasped.

“The streets are… filling with Monokumas?”

Tenko and “Props” grabbed Kaede, Himiko, and I and hid us behind their bodies.

“DanganLand is nearby…” Kaede said, sounding more panicked then she was trying to let on. “There have been reports about animatronics have been roaming around since its closure and we’ve had a few encounters with them since leaving Team Danganronpa’s headquarters, but I didn’t ever think they’d get all the way out here...”

“You… don’t think they’d send them looking for us, do you?” Himiko asked.

“Given Team Danganronpa?” Maki questioned. “No doubt about it.”

“So… what do we do?” I asked, trying to also hide my inner panic.

"You breathe in... and breathe out..." Tenko said, guiding me in a calm, meditative voice.

"Keep calm. You can do it, Shuichi!" Kaede added, flashing me another bright smile.

“We fight.” Props replied, as if this was the most obvious option in the world. “Grab the weapons you stole from the set, Kaede. You’ve got stuff too, right Ma-”

“Never would leave home without it.” Maki filled in.

“We’ll take care of them then!” Tenko cried out. “Just… give me a moment to get the blood flowing with some stretches…”

Kaede returned with two megaphones in her hands. She tossed one to Props, who tossed it to Maki, who tossed it to Himiko, who tossed it to Tenko… who handed it to me.

“You seem best equipped for this.” Tenko said, happily.

“Uh, are you sure about that Tenko?” Props questioned. “He did faint at the sight of you, like, under 10 minutes ago…”

“I… believe in him.” Kaede said, smiling.

“Then why didn’t you give him the weapon in the first place!” Props rebutted.

“Hey, why don’t we fight first, ask questions later.” Maki responded.

“Good plan Maki! Here, Shuichi let me give you a quick tutorial on how this Hacking Gun works…” Kaede suggested...

And the day could only get stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated! 
> 
> This will be a pitch for a full UDG-style game, but I'll only really be writing the story scenes here. I can't imagine a tonne of chapters full of "Kaede and Shuichi shoot Monokumas and they blow up" would be very interesting... A few general notes about gameplay differences though:  
> \- Shuichi and Kaede can be switched between at will. Shuichi is able to hide under his hat to center his breathing, allowing for him to aim better for a few moments afterwards. Kaede can do extra damage if you shoot multiple shots in rhythm with the background music.  
> \- Jukeboxes are the new save points. You can also collect songs from them as a collectable.  
> \- Tenko takes over Jack's role as the super-move/"Press Triangle if you want to attack a lot of people at once" character, mashing through enemies with her martial arts moves. Problem is that her new body isn't as strong as her old one, so she can't fight indefinitely.   
> \- Maki and Himiko have their own levels with their own gameplay, which will be explained later.
> 
> The Monokumas came very out of nowhere here, but they will be explained in upcoming chapters!
> 
> I didn't plan on having this be as ship-focused as it has been thus far... Feel free to provide feedback on that if you have an opinion...
> 
> I'll probably just add all the characters who will appear (i.e., the full V3 cast) into the tags soon enough.


	3. Last Chance to Move On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokumas are fought and plans are made.

The fight had been dreadful… but successful.

We cleared the area out. Kaede guided me. Tenko supported us. We were capable.

It was horrifying, but also weirdly nostalgic… Fighting alongside my friends again… 

Nope. Can’t think like that… I have no nostalgia for that place or the hardships faced.

I sighed and joined my friends in the walk back towards their townhouse.

A Monokuma stood in the doorway. I instinctively pulled down my cap to block my view of it. I steadied my breathing and tried to remain calm...  


“I thought I’d find the runaways here…” the robotic voice echoed.

It… wasn’t Monokuma’s voice. Or at least, it wasn’t  _ the _ Monokuma’s voice. It sounded like a woman’s voice put through a lazy filter.

“Runaways?” Props said, annoyed. “We’re just trying to survive with what you put us through.”

“Your memories are Team Danganronpa intellectual property, you know. We can’t just stand by and let you run around with them… Survivors get to keep their memories as a reward for surviving. You, meanwhile, are truly just petty thieves.”

“So what.” Maki asked. “You’re going to kill them? Put them into another one of your games?”

“No.” the Monokuma said. “Games have rules. You took my child. This is war.”

And with that, the Monokuma pressed a button in its hand.

Props yelled “Get down” and all of us hit the pavement.

The Monokuma exploded, taking the house with it.

We all stared at each other, speechless.  


“Well then.” Props said, cracking a slight smile. “I guess it’s good you paid off the damage deposit, eh Kaede?”

Kaede smiled back, courteously and not genuinely. “Thanks for the joke. I wish I was in a place to laugh at it right now.” With that, Kaede pulled out her cell phone and turned away from the group.

“It’s okay!” Himiko piped up. “You can stay with us!”

“What?” we all shouted back.

“Not in a million years.” Props declared. “You guys have to live your lives! You heard the Monokuma, staying with us is dangerous.”

“Himiko, your concern is heartwarming!" Tenko said, barrelling past Props' objections. "Where do you live? Is it a good place?”

“It's small, but close. It could maybe fit 3 of us… If we shared beds…” Maki said. “We have a piano there, so Kaede would be happy…”

“Oh! Well, Tenko can stay with Himiko!” Tenko declared, smiling. “Then Kaede and Maki can stay together and the degenerates can be apart… far away from us.”

“Um, guys?” Kaede said, walking back into the group.

“I’m not letting Shuichi stay in the bed of someone who won’t even tell us their name. Basic safety precaution. I can stay with Props and keep an eye out.” Maki declared. “But if you touch me, you’re dead.”

“Hello everyone! I have news!” Kaede said, louder this time.

“I didn’t even want to get near you!” Props shouted.

“GUYS!” I shouted. Everyone turned to look at me.

“I think Kaede has something to say.”

“Thank you Shuichi…” Kaede sighed. “We don’t need to worry about staying with you. I called in a favour. We’ll stay in the Mansion. It’s what we should have done in the first place; I’m a fool for not keeping everyone together…”

“It’s alright Kaede…” Props said. “Look, you couldn’t have known that Team Danganronpa would want to follow us at all. And, to speak plainly, I think telling everyone ‘Hey, guys, let’s all stay in an enclosed space together now that we’re free from the Killing Game’... wouldn’t have gone over well with everyone?”

"Fair as well... Thanks..." Kaede said, though her body language suggests she was less-then-convinced... 

“Excuse me?” Himiko said said. “Um… When you say ‘the Mansion,’ you can’t mean…”

“Oh, yes.” Kaede said, nodding. “I mean the Executioner’s Mansion.”

“What?” I said, panicking. 

The Executioner’s Mansion had become a famous tourist destination for Danganronpa fans, apparently. It was owned by the Director who convinced of and designed all of the executions for the show. He had set up his front yard to be a public-facing garden full of props from the show, but it had an unceremonious closure a few months ago.

“But… won’t you be in danger there?” I asked. “The Executioner must work for Team Danganropa! They want you dead!”

“The Executioner probably would want me very dead… if they had their own memories…”

Oh.

It made sense. If these people were a group of Danganronpa fans dedicated enough to not want to live past the show’s cancellation, then it’d have to include at least a few famous faces…

“So… You’ll be safe there?” I asked.

“We will.” Kaede nodded. “Trust me when I say the former-Executioner has made it into a stronghold. We considered moving everyone into it earlier, but… I didn’t push it as hard as I should have.”

“Don’t feel bad!” Tenko emphasized. “The degenerates would never have agreed to it anyway.”

Kaede smiled.

“I’ve texted everyone warning them about what happened. We’ll come up with a concrete plan at the Mansion about how to proceed.”

“Sounds great, Kaede!” Props declared. “Let’s start walking!”

“How far away is the Mansion?” Maki asked.

“We’ll be there by 1AM at least… It’s about two to three hours aw - wait.” Kaede responded, stopping in her tracks. “Are you coming too?”

“Of course we are!” Himiko declared. “You’re our friends! We’re not going to leave you now.”

“Right… Friends…” Tenko muttered under her breath. 

“Well… I can’t deny that enthusiasm.” Kaede replied, smiling.

“I can!” Props shouted. “Seriously, Kaede, you need to stand up for yourself more.”

“If everyone wants to come, then I won’t stop them.” Kaede replied, curtly. She turned to me. “Are you comfortable coming? I doubt there will be Season 53 things on display as our season was kind of a dud, but still… Danganronpa imagery would be all around…”

I stared back at her.

“If you aren’t comfortable coming… I can take you home. I’ll keep you safe.” Maki replied, staring off into the distance… almost longingly.

“I’m staying here!” Himiko declared defiantly. 

I sighed.

I hadn’t wanted this. I wanted a normal life. I had asked to forget. I didn’t let names be spoken. My piano has sat unplayed for months now…

But now that it’s here… Now they’re here. I can’t just leave them. 

This isn’t my mission, but I have a role to play. I will ensure everyone makes it out safe… again.

“I’ll come with. I’ll call my boss in the morning… Uh, assuming your executioner friend won’t mind?”

Kaede laughed. “We’ll never hear the end of it, but we’ll make do. Come on everyone. Let’s start walking.”

Kaede shot me a final smile and walked ahead. Maki, weirdly, ran to catch up with her.

I chose to hang around at the back of the crowd. Give myself some time to collect my thoughts.

“Shuichi?” a voice asked.

I looked ahead. Tenko was talking to me.

“Yes?”

“I… just wanted to check in and see how you are doing. I know this must be hard for you."

“Oh. Um. You did?” I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice.

“Not for me!” Tenko clarified. “It’s just… Himiko is very worried.”

I looked up at Himiko. She was walking happily with a sense of determination I haven’t seen in her for a long time.

“She is?”

“Obviously! She’s just enchanting me with her magic, so I feel her worries for her.”

“Right.” I said.

Himiko hasn’t been acting as if her magic is real lately, but Tenko didn’t need to know that.

Tenko smiled at me. She clearly didn’t know what more to say. So, I changed the topic.

“Himiko’s grown a lot, you know.”

“She has.” Tenko said, nodding. “I’m proud of her… I’m glad she’s grabbed ahold of her convictions… She’s really strong.”

“She is. You, uh, were a part of that, you know…”

Tenko’s face brightened.

“I’m… glad… I, uh, don’t remember that day, but I understand how I was feeling and am… glad it was me and not her.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just smiled. Tenko continued to wander her way through her thoughts.

“You know… A lot of us are scared about what we did in the Killing Game… People worry that they’ll do it again. People worry that, if they’re fictional, they were programmed to be murderers and won’t be able to stop themselves from doing it again… I don’t share these worries. Even if I was written this way, my feelings are real. I will support Himiko in any way we can. And, if push comes to shove… I’d die for her all over again.”

“Oh.” I replied.

“And… I think Kaede feels similarly. That’s why she pushed you three away. She’s promised to help all of us navigate our new lives and she knew that being around you could… have her leave that promise unfulfilled… again.”

“What?”

“Are you surprised? She’s still Kaede, you know.”

“I… suppose. I just… don’t expect her - nor want her - to… do anything reckless for my sake.”

“Oh? Wait, you haven’t found someone else, have you?”

“What? I mean, no. There are some very attractive people, but… I’m currently single. I just… don’t want my friends - platonic or romantic - to put themselves in danger for me?”

“Oh. Right… Sorry… I - er - Himiko knows this is a lot to take in…”

I sighed. “It’s been a long day for sure. I really don’t know how to feel.”

“I’d just… take things slow with everyone. Start off a new slate. Try not to let the baggage of the past pull you down too much? You’ll be remeeting a lot of people if you stick with us and not all of them ended on the best foot…”

“You know… That’s a good idea, Tenko. Best to relax and take things one day at a time.”

“Perfect.” Tenko smiled, very clearly proud of herself. “Oh, and if you break Kaede’s heart… Then I will make you feel so much pain that you will wish Monokuma executed you.”

“Oh. Um. That’s good to know as well. Thanks Tenko.”

“Don’t thank me! Thank Himiko. Expect for the execution part. That was all Tenko.”

Tenko gave a polite nod and ran up ahead to join Himiko.

I took a breath. Tenko was right. It was best to think of things anew… 

**“Kaede Akamatsu” - Ultimate Sound Engineer**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Kaede's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with her.**

**“Tenko Chabashira” - Ultimate Editor**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Tenko's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with her.**

**“???” - Ultimate Props Department Manager**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**???'s Report Card has been updated based on your experience with him.**

And this time… I’m not alone. We’ll all survive together.

…

I took a breath. We’ll make it through. 

I’ve been scared for too long. Let’s just embrace these chance encounters as fate.

**Shuichi Saihara - Ultimate Surviving Detective**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Shuichi's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with him.**

**Maki Harukawa - Ultimate Surviving Assassin**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Maki's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with her.**

**Himiko Yumeno - Ultimate Surviving Magician**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Himiko's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with her.**

“Hey Kaede.”

I turn to the voice.

“Hi Maki. What’s up?”

Wow, she looks distressed... Oh well… I’m sure I can get her smiling again… if she’s ever smiled before...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this game has Free Time Events! How those work will be explained in the author's notes next chapter or the one after...
> 
> Thanks for reading! I imagine my updates will slow down soon; I've just been kind of on a kick as I can't get dialogue ideas for the Former Executioner out of my head and want them written doon ASAP... I'll probably slow to weekly updates instead of, like, within 24 hours as this one came out...
> 
> For the record, the idea is that the Team Danganronpa members would be called "Super Team Danganronpa Member [Role]" in Japanese, but I'll just write it all as Ultimates in English. The word "Ultimate" just reflects how they were exceptional in their field when part of the team... even if they no longer have any memories from when they did that.


	4. The Ultimate Execution Executioner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede walks to the Mansion, talking to her new-old friends.

“I’m… sorry, Kaede.”

“What?” I replied.

Maki was apologizing… to me? This… wasn’t what I expected. I assumed she’d be interrogating me on the safety of the Mansion, if she was willing to talk to me at all.

Which was a big _if_ … Maki’s suddenly gone from a known entity to a complete enigma. The Ultimate  _ Assassin _ ? Why don’t people keep me in the loop about this kind of thing...

Well, I know why. Probably because the last time someone trusted me with hidden information, I took advantage of it... 

At least Props and Tenko trust me... I think...

“Look, is this about the entire ‘you kidnapped me’ thing?” I asked. “As it’s really fine… I mean, it’s not, but, hey, you didn’t kill me and we’re together now, so I suppose that’s what matters…”

“Not what I meant. I only did what I thought necessary to protect my friends. I will not apologize for that and, frankly, doubt that you would want me too.” 

“I mean, you could at least apologize for scuffing my shoes up so badly…” I said, trying to get a smile out of her.  


Maki rolled her eyes, then continued. “I’m being serious. I’m… sorry for judging you so harshly, back then. You didn’t deserve what happened to you.”

Oh.

She wanted to discuss… that.

Nope. Not happening.  


“Well, that’s very kind of you, but it’s fine. It happened. I’m here now. We can move on, okay? Hanging onto the past will only lead to more struggles in the future.”

She nervously played with her hair and looked away. “Please don’t say ‘hanging.’’

“Oh. Um. Sorry.”

Being asked to mourn your own death is a… surreal experience, to say the least. It's like playing a funeral march for a person you know intimately, but never even had the chance to live without… It’s a cacophony of feelings. None of which are good.

It doesn’t matter now though. I am Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. I have my friends to take care of. We’ll all stay safe… and stay together. I’m not going to let anything stop us from surviving - especially not any residing guilts or fears over the actions people took when under stress, blackmail, and psychological torture for an audience of millions. 

Maki stared at me with piercing eyes.

“You’re not holding her accountable, are you? She’s one of your friends now.”

“Hm?” I replied, pretending not to know what she means.

“She set all of us up. She killed Rantaro. She killed you. And you’re just going to call her a friend?”

“I thought you said that you were forgiving of my way of doing things....”

“I did. And I am.” Maki continued. “You’re a fool, but… sometimes fools make for good allies to have. I should have appreciated your optimism while you were around to provide it.”

“Well… Thank you?” I replied. I didn’t exactly know how to take these… compliments. There was something foreboding behind all of her kind words - like a few discordant harmonies accompanying a pretty melody.

Maki nodded, having seemingly said her piece. I decided to break the silence.

“So… There is someone you are looking to see, right? Who are they?”

Maki stiffened, but responded… eventually.

“I… developed a relationship with Kaito Momota. I would like to address it with him.”

Kaito? That wasn’t the name I expected to hear… Opposites attract, I suppose. Maki continued to speak.

“I confessed before his… execution. He didn’t directly respond to my affections, just being supportive... However, I have reason to suspect he returns my feelings.”

“Oh?”

“Tsumugi claimed we were written that way.”

“Oh.”

_ Written _ . I hated that word. It’s like being told free will is an illusion and that your live is meaningless in two syllables. 

Everyone claims that I went off-script. I was “one of the first people to break the game.” Their words don’t mean much to me. I now know I am capable of paranoia. I am capable of murder. I need to control my feelings. Doubly so when around the survivors… I need to protect everyone, but this time it'll be peacefully.  


I sighed. That thoughts aren't helping - they're the exact thoughts I have encouraged everyone else to avoid. I need to push forward. The past happened, but the future's what really matters. Rantaro's forgiven me, regardless of the... circumstances.  


“Well. Thanks for sharing that with me." I replied "I hope you will understand that I can’t exactly just give you his phone number.”

“If you did, then I'd be concerned you were an imposter."  


“You’ve… really matured, you know?” I said. “You’re strong. You’re steadfast. You’re… loving? A far cry from the cold babysitter I knew…”

“Well. Thank you, I suppose. I think I’m just more… comfortable. Being a fictional character is existentially terrifying, of course, but the blackmail I was stuck with is… non-existent. So… That’s been a relief, in a weird way.”

“Ah.” I replied. “I’m sorry I had to carry that burden though… Being a contract killer... sounds very hard.”

“You wouldn’t know the half of it.” Maki replied, curtly. “Oh. I’m sorry. That was probably too rude of me…”

“It’s fine. No need to censor yourself on my account. I put up with much worse from worse people.” 

Maki looked pensive. “I suppose you do.”

“And… I’m sorry that you haven’t had support. Team Danganronpa does usually take care of the mental health of the survivors, you know… It’s just the Grief Counseling department fell apart when its leader suddenly… ‘vanished.’ ”

“Ah, they’re one of you now?” Maki asked, smirking. That basically counts as a smile, right?  


I politely nodded.

“I wouldn’t have accepted help from a group like that anyway. Please don’t apologize for your existence. I think you all being back is doing more to help us then Team Danganronpa members ever could.”

“That’s not how therapy works, you know…”

Maki laughed - an actual laugh! “Oh, we’ll need that too. I’m just trying to say… I’m glad we’ve gotten our second chances. If it means fighting a Monokuma army to do it, then I’m willing to.”

“And we’ll be happy to have you, Miss Assassin.”

“Do you want to die?” she replied, laughter gone.  


“Not particularly.”

“Oh. Sorry. Force of habit…”

“It’s fine.” I replied. “I get that as well… Props had me set up a jar in our apartment and every time I made a classical music reference nobody else understood, I had to put in a quarter...”

“Really? Maki said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Really! Which seemed a bit unfair when I was already the only breadwinner in the house, but… oh well.”

Maki didn’t smile at this, but the corners of her lips raised slightly. I’d count it as a victory.

“Shuichi… really missed you, you know.”

“Oh?”

I didn’t particularly want to discuss this, but here we are.

“He… actually stopped us from saying your name around him. You could tell he was pretty distraught by… everything. Took Kaito to punch energy back into him after you… left us.”

“Well, I’m glad he got the energy. He ended Danganronpa and kept our promise. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

However… I have new promises to keep now… I can’t let myself get too distracted…  


Maki continued speaking.

“He… wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes. Crying for you. I’ve had to pretend to be you a few times… Just to get him to go back to sleep.”  Maki modified her voice to sound like me - or at least my original self. "It's okay Shuichi. I'm here for you! We'll get through this together. I believe in you, you know. Just stay calm... You can't save us with no sleep..."

Oh god. Poor Shuichi… I… I can’t...

“Why are you telling me this?” I barked out.

Maki just stared at me. “Sorry. Don't worry, I don't think he remembers it anyway... I’m just saying… Don’t do anything reckless. We’re not having any ‘It’s a promise; you’ll all be best friends without me’ moments this time, you hear? Even Kaito wouldn't be able to punch Shuichi out of the depression of losing you a  _ second _ time.”

I nod. “Okay. Well, thank you for letting me know.... and thank you for taking care of Shuichi”

Maki nodded and turned back to walk with Himiko.

I can do this. I can keep everyone safe… Both physically and emotionally. No pressure at all Kaede…

I hum the Radetzky March to myself as we walk forward. We’ll have our victory soon enough.

…

When we arrived at the Mansion, it was very late. We were all tired. We all just wanted to sleep. 

However, first, we needed to walk through the gardens.

“Shuichi?” I said. “You may want to cover your eyes for this one…”

Shuichi nodded. He pulled his hat brim down over his eyes with one hand, while Himiko grabbed one of his hands to guide him through the pathways.

“I’m a bit scared too!” Tenko boldly declared, reaching for Himiko’s other hand. Himiko rolled her eyes, but took her hand too.

Maki nodded. “Are we safe here? Nothing will turn on, right?”

“It should just be still props and inanimate objects, yeah. All the animatronic and robot stuff was shipped for display at DanganLand, or so I heard…” I replied. “The Executioner has high-end artillery around the house, but those won’t attack us. They’ll just ensure we’re safe if we have any more robots wandering around from the park…”

“Well, no time like the present!” Props declared. “Let’s go.”

And with that, we walked. We walked past weaponized versions of every household object imaginable. Everything up to and including the kitchen sink had been turned into a torture device. 

It was… pretty nauseating, honestly.

We eventually reached the door. I was about to knock, but our host had been waiting for us and opened the door.

There stood a small, mousey woman with big-rimmed glasses. She was clearly in her 30s, but had never had a growth spurt - in any directions. Her big eyes made me feel like I needed to protect her, with her face naturally resting in a scared position. She had long hair that looked like it had never seen a haircut, but it been recently dyed blonde. She dressed in an apron with a cute blue dress underneath.  


“Come on in!” she said.

I turned back to Shuichi. He was still standing. The hat was working! He evidently hadn't noticed the googles hanging around her neck...  


“Aren’t… aren’t you going to ask why we’re here?” Maki asked our new host.

“Nah.” she replied. “I figured it was only a matter of time before one of your horndogs needed a lay and went to find the survivors. So, which one of you was it. Tenko needed to know how to pull a _rabbit_ out of a hat? Kaediot wanted to teach Pooichi proper fingerings? Or maybe -”

Her rambling was cut off by the sound of Shuichi fainting.

“I… guess we didn’t take auditory triggers into account.” Tenko said, sheepishly.

“Wow!” our new-old friend laughed. “I always assumed Pooichi was a quickshot, but that’s impressive. Creamed himself unconscious just at the sight of me, did he? You know, Kaediot, if you ever need any toys, you can call me. I’m sure they’d last longer.”

“No, you don’t -”

“Actually, I’ve got a question for you, Kaediot… So, when you’re plowing Pooichi right here -”

“We don’t -”

“Do you think he’s thinking of doing it with the old you? Like, the blonde small-titted wonder? And, if so, is that cheating on current you?” 

“What? I -”

“As I don’t know if I’d want a partner thinking of anyone else, but it’d be hard to blame them for thinking of the big-breasted blonde genius…”

“Is Shuichi okay?!” I finally shouted, turning my full attention to my fainted friend.  


Himiko and Props pulled him onto his feet.

“Miu Iruma, t-the U-ultimate Inventor” Shuichi stammered out.

“That’s my name! Don’t wear it out!” Miu declared, seemingly perfectly at ease with everything going on. “Technically, though, I’m now the Ultimate Execution Executioner. I gotta say, she had an impressive title, for a murderous bimbo.”

“Well… You have an impressive house.” Props said. “Bet there’s a lot of great views around here.”

“Oh, they’re wonderful! I’d love to show you around, but it’s pretty late - er early? And, frankly, I think Pooichi needs a bit of a rest.”

“I… could use some sleep.” Shuichi said, looking on the verge of collapsing a second time.

“We’ve got bedrooms on the second floor!” Miu explained. “We have enough ones for everyone to have their own, but you can go wild if you'd think."

Shuichi blushed. "We'll be fine, but thank you..." Himiko, Tenko and Props started walking him up the staircase, seemingly concerned he’ll drop back down at any moment.

Maki turned to Miu. “Mind if I look around?”

Miu nodded. “Yeah, explore wherever. I’d just stay off of the third floor. That’s where stuff from our season was being developed. Some real creepy shit is up there. You don’t want to know the shit they had prepped for my execution. It’s orgasmic, but with blood.”

I grimaced, but Maki just nodded. “Thanks.” She walked away.

Miu and I were left alone. She smiled at me.

“Nice to have you back. I’ve been working on making this house into a stronghold if we need one… Sounds like they were planning on having a special season in this house for the 60th anniversary, so there are beds and food supplies already prepared… I’ll keep everyone safe if needed, Kaediot.”

“Thank you so much, Miu. It’s… nice to have you on my side for once.”

“Yeah, whatever small-tits.”

“What? But our new bodies aren't even -”

“It’s not the boobs on the outside that matter! It’s what’s on the inside that counts, isn't it? And my inside boobs are the best in the whole world!"

There’s no reasoning with this woman. I simply nodded in response.

**“Miu Iruma” - Ultimate Execution Executioner**

**Obtained Friendship Fragment!**

**Miu's Report Card has been updated based on your experience with her.**

I walked up the staircase, picked, and crawled into my new bed. 

This has been a long day… My longest in a long time.

However, I have confidence and hope that has been long-missing as well.

We’re together. We’re safe. This will work.

This has to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are always super motivating for me... hence this chapter coming out within a day of the last one.
> 
> I realize I've never described how I imagine our survivors look now:  
> \- Shuichi wears a vest for his grocery store job and has decided he likes vests, so he now always wears sweater-vests plus a pair of black dress pants. His hair is the same as always, though now its covered by his hat... again. His hat mostly looks like his original, but has a music note pin in it due to it belonging to Kaede.  
> \- Maki now wears her hair lose and possesses an ahoge. Her outfits are all variations on black shirts and black pants/skirts.  
> \- Himiko still wears her magician outfit when doing performances, but normally wears a plain red button-down shirt and a red skirt. She's grown a bit taller since the end of V3. She has no hat in her casual outfits and has two ahoges, kind of like Miu in the original game.
> 
> Tenko, Kaede and a character yet to be revealed all have ahoges as well. It's basically an ahoge party with this many playable characters!
> 
> Man, imagine if DR makes a fighting game... Would they give up on the ahoge motif or redesign literally every character for an ahoge-included fighting game... Who knows!


	5. Game Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Monokumas continue to wander, a plan is formed.

I woke up in darkness. After a momentary panic about the lack of Tenko near me, I remembered what had happened.

I was kidnapped by a former friend, broke a tonne of promises, and Monokumas were attacking us. 

Great start to a Sunday.

First things first, coffee.

I don’t recall when I started craving caffeine. Safe to assume that it’s a trait that came with the new body. My previous occupant evidently worked long hours at Team Danganronpa,,. I mean, people drink coffee to help them work long hours, right? It’s odd to think about; I’ve never had a “real” job before… that I know of, at least...

The “Ultimate Sound Engineer” was an unofficial title, from what I have gathered. It was a self-referential gag that a group of the most devoted Danganronpa fans amongst the staff defined themselves by. The Ultimates worked hard throughout the company, or so it seems. 

We learned our jobs and titles from the clothes we were wearing upon waking up, alongside the (scant) information preserved on our cell phones, wallets, and whatever other personal items we had been left. Some, like Miu, were lucky enough to get homes, maps, and necessities to help us survive - direct communication from the people who brought us (back?) here. Some of us were… less lucky.

The only gift the Ultimate Sound Engineer left for me was her phone, which had largely been reset to factory settings. It did, however, have one photo stored on it, kept as the lock screen background. In it, she - I? - was sitting on a sofa, with a familiar bluenette buried in her shoulder.

Tsumugi Shirogane - the original Tsumugi Shirogane - was crying on her shoulder. The Sound Engineer looked to be a mix of sympathetic and annoyed. As if Tsumugi’s crying was an irritant, irrational, and tiresome, but she was going to continue comforting her crying colleague - friend? - regardless.

I know Tsumugi isn’t a hero. I know nobody could blame me if I hated her… In one sense, I promised to never forgive her (look at me, breaking more promises, way to go team Kaede!). Still, seeing her so sad… made me feel kind of sick. I wanted to know what was happening in that photo - and why it was left for me - but talking to Tsumugi had been… less than fruitful, to say the least.

In spite of all of this, I can’t say that I hate the Ultimate Sound Engineer. She was a victim in all of this as well, or at least I think she must have been. In spite of being an “Ultimate” staff member, her bosses never missed her absence. In fact, they were more than happy to send robots out to end the life of the person who occupies her body...

I guess I just hope she had a good reason for bringing me here...

I collected my thoughts and walked out of my room, still wearing the clothes I had on the day before. I wandered around and quickly found the kitchen, which was entirely automated. There was a mechanical oven with button-press delivery for a cornucopia of dishes. I ordered a omu-rice and a coffee from the machine, mulling over how Kirumi would feel about an automated kitchen… Hopefully she wouldn’t request a traditional one be installed; I don’t know how everyone is doing financially and that’d be a big ask for Miu… 

Dishes in hand, I followed the sound of voices until I entered a living room, where the rest of my friends had gathered.

Himiko and Tenko were sharing a sofa, with Himiko proudly showing off new card tricks to an ever-amazed Tenko. Miu and Shuichi were talking in a nervous whisper, mutually staring into the dim light of a laptop screen. Props and Maki sat at opposite sides of a table, Props reading a book and Maki polishing a crossbow while eying Props suspiciously.

While I stood there mulling over who to sit with - if anyone - Maki noticed my presence and pulled up a chair for me to join her. I took my food and sat down next to her.

“Morning Kaede.”

“Good morning Maki! Nice to see you. How are things doing?”

“Weapons all passed inspection,” Maki replied, dodging my question. “Are you doing okay? You slept in pretty late today…”

“Oh.” I laughed awkwardly in reply. “I’m doing fine. Just… it’s been a lot lately. How are you doing?”

Maki shrugged. “As well as I can. This house is… kind of amazing, honestly.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Seems like the Executioner enjoyed having all the finer things in life available to her from inside her home. Large gardens. Both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. Full ballroom for parties - with a grand piano, I may add.”

My ears perked up at this. I had a keyboard back in my room before… it ceased to be. “Well, I’ll be sure to check that out when I get the chance.”

Maki just nodded. “The Executioner did a lot of hard work. I guess it’s good to know she was well compensated. I’d judge her, but I can’t really blame someone for doing cruel things for money... There’s a full home gym here, which is good for morning training; I think I’m going to start doing that with Tenko in the mornings…”

“Oh, that sounds great for you! Are you used to doing it for your work, or….”

“Not exactly.” Maki looked thoughtful. “It’s just something I picked up for a while. I’ve been meaning to get back into it. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like?”

“Maybe? I guess it depends on how things go from here. I mean, I don’t know if we are going to be here for all that long anyway.”

Maki’s eyes darted around. “You… haven’t checked the news today, have you?”

I paled. “I… have not. No.”

I began to feel around my coat to find my phone, only to find it missing.

“Where… is my phone?”

Maki looked nervous, before speaking louder to address everyone. “So, uh, has anybody seen Kaede’s phone? I’m hoping it wasn’t left in the home when…”

“Oh, don’t worry, I swiped that this morning.” Miu replied, dismissively. She and Shuichi didn’t even take their eyes off the computer.

“You WHAT?” I reacted.

“Yeah, I figured I’d give it some upgrades. I just slipped it out of your pocket while you slept.”

“Miu!”

“Don’t worry, Kaediot. I took Shuichi and Himiko’s phones too! By the way, very disappointed in you all for taking separate rooms. I was really hoping to walk in a three-way...”

Himiko rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, Kaede… She’ll give it back shortly…”

“Fine.” I replied.

It’s not fine. My phone is an essential communication tool. How could I have not even checked? I was too focused on myself… My past… Happily humming... How dare I even call myself a leader?

“Regardless…” Shuichi chimed in, taking some sort of lead (glad someone could). “We should focus on the important thing: the Monokumas.”

“Oh, are there more Monokumas?” I questioned.

Everyone just stared back at me.

“Did I… say something wrong?”

“There… are a few Monokumas around…” Himiko suggested, hesitantly. 

“They’ve taken over the town.” Props helpfully expanded on.

“WHAT? Why are we here? Shouldn’t we be going out? Is everyone okay? How can you all just sit here and -”

“Relax, Kaediot. They’re non-violent… for now at least. They’re just scattered around the town, probably for surveillance. Not going into buildings or anything!”

“What? But… We need to stop them, right?”

“We do, yes.” Shuichi responded. “But we should be careful. Take this one move at a time.”

“Okay… I’m breathing… Everything’s fine… What should we do?”

“Come up with a plan. Execute it fully. Stay calm.” Maki replied.

“And Pooichi and I have spent all morning coming up with a plan. It’s idiot-proof, so I’m sure all of you will be able to handle it. Now, TO THE LAB!” Miu shouted, standing up.

An excited Miu shuffled us into an evaluator and down to her basement laboratory. 

...

Miu’s lab was a mess. Inventions were scattered everywhere - and, honestly, I couldn’t tell where the Executor’s ended and Miu’s began. We gathered at a table in the middle of it. Miu pressed a button and the table came alive, revealing it to actually be a touchscreen LCD.

“So, here’s our problem. We’ve got Monokumas scattered across the town. The official Team Danganronpa line is that it is just ‘a malfunction from the theme park’ and, as they aren’t harming ordinary people, nobody really cares.”

“And people believe them?” I asked nervously. 

“Those idiots will believe anything…” 

“It… kind of makes sense in a way.” Shuichi said, thoughtfully. “A dying company has a city-wide fuck-up. It’s an amusing anecdote. Something to laugh at and move on.”

“So the degenerates are using their own bad reputation to try and hunt us down?” Tenko questioned.

“Basically.” Shuichi said. “They realize nobody will care about some wild Monokumas wandering around, as long as they aren’t hurting  _ ordinary _ people. The good news is that means nobody will care  _ either way _ . If we blow up the Monokumas, then nobody will try to stop us as long as we're not destroying their property… They’ll just think we’re people angry at the Danganronpa brand - either for running killing games or for running them badly.”

“Well. That is good, I suppose.” I replied. I don’t particularly want to be mistaken for someone angry about  _ how _ the games were run, but we need to take our victories where they come. “So, Miu? How’s everyone doing? You’ve been in contact with everyone, right?”

“Everyone’s fine, for now. The Monokumas are out and about though, so I’ve instructed everyone to stay indoors where they currently are, lest they be seen. The bad news is that… everyone’s split pretty far apart.”

“So… We’re going to have to go out and bring them back here! One at a time, gradually.”

“Well, duh, Kaediot. We’ll take it one day at a time though. Every day, come to me and I’ll pick a region for us to clear out. They’ll be picked by proximity, to avoid bias.”

“Will you be joining us?”

“Nah, I’ll give guidance from here. You’ve got your hatted heroes on the hacking guns. You can clear out the Monokumas, then the assassin can infiltrate the building herself.”

“I want to help too!” Himiko declared. “I can help Maki out, distracting people to ensure she has a clean entrance to extract everyone.”

“Perfect!” Miu responded. “As for you, ‘Props,’ you’ll be on communications. I’ll make sure the controls are something familiar for you.”

Props just looked around, annoyed. “If we’ve got no other plan, then fine.”

“Perfect! Great to have you on board, ‘Props.’” Miu replied, laughing. “Now, Kaediot, here’s your phone back. I’ve added a new gadget to it.”

I caught my phone as Miu tossed it back to me. I instantly went to check my messages app, only to find only six people have messaged me about the city-wide takeover...  


Way to make me feel valued, everyone…

“So, you’ve got a new map app! It has everyone’s locations set, so you can always orientate yourself if you guys get lost.”

I stared at the map. Everyone’s locations were already pinpointed, so at least I knew they were safe. They’re out there. They’ll be fine…

I look up. Shuichi’s staring at his newly-returned phone with a look of slight panic.

“The Ultimate… Mortician? The Ultimate Fixer… Ultimate Lawyer? Are all of these people going to be safe?”

“I don’t know Pooichi, you’re currently hanging out with an Ultimate Executioner and an Ultimate Assassin - and roughly four attempted murderers. Do you feel safe?”

“Oh. Well. Yeah… Fair enough.. Sorry for judging...” Shuichi replied.

“They’re fine, Shuichi.” I saw, flashing a polite smile and hiding internal panic. “So… What will people do once we bring them back here?” 

“Simple, Kaediot! I have a giant archive of inventions, notes, and USBs stored in the back. As people come back, we can assign them to dig through the supplies. Maybe we’ll even find more tools for your phones in the process!”

“Okay… Sure…”

“For today, I suggest you just go and clear out the area around the manor. Get some more shooting practice in and make it so we’ll be safe when coming/going from the manor in the future.”

We all nodded at each other, then began to leave the lab.

I sighed, nervously. We’ve got to keep everyone safe… again. Even if they don’t all want me to. Even if they… don’t care…

It’ll all work out. It has to.

I take a breath and step back into the elevator.

...

_ “Hello.” _

_ “Oh, hello! It’s nice to see you.” _

_ “It’s been a while.” _

_ “Only a few weeks, really.” _

_ There is a pause. _

_ “If you’re here, then I suppose that means you’re taking me up on my -” _

_ “No.” _

_ “No?” _

_ “Never.” _

_ “Oh.” _

_ Another pause. _

_ “Want to watch some TV?” _

_ “Fine.” _

_ “Great!” _

_ “But no Danganronpa.” _

_ “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Killjoy.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter was mostly just explaining the main gameplay loop! We'll return to introducing new-old characters next chapter as the rescuing begins...
> 
> If it isn't evident by now, my goal for this story is to try and provide an answer for a question posed by Tsumugi in the final trial: Can Danganronpa characters live outside of the Danganronpa setting? Some are handling it better then others!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!


End file.
